Cattleya Orchid Description

Cattleya Orchid: Description Cattleya orchid defines "orchid" for most people, and its popularity is well deserved for its longlasting gorgeous flowers and easy culture. The 45 Central and South American species usually grow near treetops in moist forests. One-leaved (unifoliate) types have larger and fewer flowers than the taller, two-leaved (bifoliate) species. Both types have prominent pseudobulbs; the bifoliate one are more elongated. Classic for prom corsages, Cattleya orchid flowers last at least a week in water and bloom for about 4 weeks on the plant, with buds arising from a sheath. The genus is named for William Cattley, a wealthy English horticulturist who successfully bloomed some of the first known. The words "Cattleya" or "Cattleya Alliance" are often loosely used to refer to the numerous genera that interbreed readily, including Cattleya orchid, Brassavola, Epidendrum, Laelia, Rhyncholaelia, and Sophronitis, along with the many artificially made intergeneric hybrid genera such as Brassolaeliocattleya.